Article 7 – Work Schedule

7.01 - Work Day: The basic work day for teachers shall be seven and one-half (7-2 1/2) hours on all days when students are in attendance, with an additional thirty (30) minutes per week for the purpose of planning. On all Pre-School Days, Professional Duty Days and In-service Days, the basic work dayfor teachers shall be seven (7) hours to include lunch.

Standard Work Day: The work day for teachers shall include:
1. Instruction: The length of the instructional period each day will be determined by the individual school’s master schedule.
2. Lunch: A lunch time each day equivalent to the student lunch time with a minimum of twenty-five (25) minutes to be duty-free. Except in the case of an emergency or special circumstance the teacher’s lunch period shall be duty13 free.
3. Planning: Teachers shall have planning/conference time totaling not less than sixty (60) minutes per day or the equivalent on a weekly basis to include a minimum of forty (40) continuous minutes per teacher per day except in those cases as referenced in Article 7.01(1)(c)(4) and Article 7.04. Such time shall be used for lesson preparation and for meeting other job description responsibilities.
  1. Planning Guidelines: The parties will develop a process for monitoring compliance with planning guidelines by each school as well as a recommended course of action when a school or work site is not in compliance.
  2. No Planning Time: In the event a teacher is not provided planning time during the student day the school administrator shall implement a process to provide a break to the teacher, if necessary. A break shall be defined as an interruption in the teaching activity of the teacher for the purpose of using the restroom or for other personal reasons. Such breaks shall be reasonable in length and not distract from student learning.
  3. Teaching During Planning Period: When a teacher and the District mutually agree that the teacher will teach through the teacher’s planning period, the teacher’s work day will be extended by an amount equal to the instructional period.
    1. Compensation: The teacher will be compensated at the teacher’s regular rate of pay.
    2. Advertising: The District shall advertise such extra time/extra pay opportunities and shall report such arrangements to TALC.
  4. Non-Compliance: In cases where a work site/school is unable to comply with or requests a change in language pertaining to the teacher daily planning time, the work site/school staff will develop a plan to insure teachers receive the three hundred thirty minutes (330) minute weekly minimum based on a regular five-day work week. This plan must be submitted as a waiver and reviewed and approved by the TALC Labor/Management Committee.
4. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Instructional staff will work with their immediate supervisors to develop a work schedule that allows for appropriate planning time and PLC meetings. Instructional staff may work with their immediate supervisor on a PLC assignment that is job related and supports students. PLC meetings will be led by instructional staff, held at a mandatory maximum of once each week, will have an agenda sent out prior to the meeting, and will focus on teaching and learning. Instructional staff will be actively engaged in and participate in PLC meetings. PLC meetings may consist of employee requested professional development, data analysis, shared planning, creating assessments, collaboration, and continuous improvement. School-based administrators will review the PLC guidelines with their staff each year. The TALC Labor/Management Committee may review situations where there are concerns about PLC meetings.
5. Mandatory Meetings: The scheduling of administratively mandated meetings and other similar functions shall be limited to two per month, pursuant to Article 13.04(2). A faculty meeting is an example of an administratively mandated meeting. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting is not an example of an administratively mandated meeting. Meetings for the purpose of curriculum planning, with the involvement of administration, are acceptable so long as the number of meetings is reasonable. The TALC Labor/Management Committee shall review situations where the number of meetings is of concern.
6. Lee Virtual School: Instructional staff assigned to Lee Virtual School will be provided a virtual option for staff meetings
7. School Events: Schools shall make every effort to limit school events to two (2) per semester, and no more than five (5) in a school year. Any changes to this Article must be made through the waiver process outlined in Article 13.05.
Non-Standard Work Day:
1. Assigned Duties: Fulfillment of performance responsibilities as defined by the Board’s job description for teachers shall be made available upon request to the individual supervisor.
  1. Administrative Duties: In schools that do not have an assistant principal or second administrator, a teacher shall be designated to perform administrative duties. Teachers may volunteer but shall not be required to assume administrative duties in the absence of the principal or other immediate supervisor.
  2. Additional Duties: If volunteers are not available, when teacher participation in extracurricular activities is required and there is no supplement assigned to that activity, assignments will be made on a rotating basis in a manner to ensure equitable distribution of additional responsibilities.
  3. Voluntary Duties: Upon approval by the principal, teachers may be given access to the building to voluntarily perform job-related duties.
2. Work Site: The Board and the Association recognize that schools provide many learning activities other than in individual classrooms. Such activities as state or district testing programs, field days, field trips, theme days, or other similar activities are included within this provision. When participation in such activities is found to be necessary and will have the effect of temporarily changing a teacher’s schedule, if volunteers are not available, assignments shall be on a rotating basis in a manner to ensure an equitable distribution of additional responsibilities.
  1. Mileage: Teachers required to travel as part of their regularly assigned responsibilities shall receive mileage reimbursement when such has been approved by the Superintendent prior to the assignment.
3. Work Hours: Teachers are professionals and have responsibilities, which may require the teacher’s attendance and/or participation beyond the normal work day.
  1. Mandatory Attendance: When attendance at such meetings or activities is required, the principal will notify in writing the affected teachers of the schedule and any alterations necessary to the teacher’s work schedule. Every reasonable effort will be made by school administrators to minimize required attendance by teachers beyond the regular work day.
  2. Parent Teacher/Conferences: Parent/teacher conferences scheduled outside of the regular work day shall be scheduled in collaboration with the teacher.
Arrival: Each building principal shall determine the arrival and leaving time of teachers assigned to each school.
1. Sign-In and Sign-Out Procedures: Teachers shall indicate their presence for duty upon arrival each day by personally signing in electronically to LeeClock. Instructional staff may leave their school or other scheduled duty area during the work day only with the approval of their principal or other immediate supervisor.
Instruction: For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
1. Definitions:
  1. Lesson Plans: A standards-based guide for daily instruction.
  2. Disclosure Documents: A general statement of course requirements, materials and objectives.
  3. Course Outline: A general description of how the performance standards will be met over a six (6) to fifteen (15) week period of instructional time.
  4. Course: That body of instructional information identified by each specific course code directory number.
2. Submission of Lesson Plans: Each teacher shall prepare a lesson plan covering the full calendar week no later than the next to last day of the preceding school week. Upon request to the teacher, lesson plans are subject to review by the principal or other immediate supervisor.
3. Course Preparation: There shall be no more than four (4) different course preparations for middle or high school teachers except as approved by the Superintendent.
4. Grades: Each teacher is responsible for assigning grades for their students and turning them in to their principal. No grade will be altered or cause to be altered without consultation, where possible, with the teacher who assigned the grade. Such consultation shall be for the purpose of reviewing the teacher’s justification of the assigned grade. In each case, the decision of the principal shall, upon appeal by the teacher, be reviewed by the Superintendent and their decision shall be final. If a change is made, the record will reflect that the change was made by the Superintendent, principal or designee.
5. Leadership Roles: Each opening for the position of grade level, department chairpersons or team leader shall be announced prior to filling the position. Teachers within the department, team or grade level shall make recommendations to the principal on persons to serve as grade level, department chairpersons or team leader. First consideration shall be given to persons who are recommended by their department, grade level or team. The principal shall make the final determination in filling such vacancies and shall notify all applicants of their decision prior to the end of the student school year. No department head, grade level chairperson or team leader shall be required to evaluate, in writing, other bargaining unit personnel.

7.02 - Work Week: Flexible schedules must still be the equivalent of a thirty-eight (38) hour work week and/or average the basic teacher work day of seven and one8 half (7 ½) hours, with an additional thirty (30) minutes per week for the purpose of planning.

7.03 - Work Year: The basic work year for teachers shall be 196 days which shall include six (6) paid holidays. Teachers will not be required to work on the paid holidays established by the Board as a part of the annual school calendar.

Pre-school Days: The pre-school week shall consist of one (1) District In-service Day and four (4) Pre-school Days. During the four (4) Pre-school Days, teachers shall have at least twelve (12) hours for uninterrupted planning and preparation for the upcoming school year.
Professional Duty Days: Teacher professional duty days are to be used for teachers to prepare grades, lesson plans and other required records and reports. Grade sheets shall not be due until one hour prior to the end of this duty day.
In-service Days: Teacher in-service days shall be used for teacher professional development as identified in the teacher's Professional Development Plan and the School Improvement Plan.
Non-Standard Work Year: Appendix C includes the number of workdays for instructional staff who have a greater than ten (10) month calendar. The work year for career and technical Instructors at Technical Colleges and the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy will be determined based upon the clock hours required for the courses taught as determined by the Florida Department of Education, including pre-school days, professional duty days and in-service days.
1. Department of Juvenile Justice: The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) twelve-month (255- day) calendar will be jointly developed by the DJJ Administrators and Teachers to ensure the required 240-day instructional calendar and the recommendation shall be forwarded to the TALC Labor/Management Committee.
Flexible Work Year: The contractual work year may be reduced when agreed to by the teacher and supervisor. The work year may be extended to meet student/programmatic needs with advanced notification to TALC and Human Resources. The work year for instructional personnel scheduled to work longer than 196 days may be adjusted to accommodate instructional or student needs. Such adjustments shall be determined ten (10) days prior to the last day of the student year for the following school year, set forth in a written document and signed and dated by the teacher and principal/supervisor and retained at the school/department. The days shall be determined in consultation with the teacher; however, the final decision shall be made by the principal/supervisor to ensure adequate staffing throughout the year.
1. Extended School Year Programs: The work year for instructional personnel employed at a school requiring an extended school year may be extended for five days to accommodate instructional or student needs. The additional five days will be used for training and professional development. Instructional personnel employed during this extended work year will be paid according to their current base rate of pay.
2. Emergency Make-up Days: When it is necessary to close schools as a result of a hurricane or other natural disaster, employees will be notified via radio and television, if possible, prior to the beginning of the work day. Employees who do not make up said time during their work year will not be paid for these days and pay will be deducted from the last paycheck of the fiscal year in which the days are missed or from the employee’s last paycheck in the event the employee terminates sooner. National and/or legal holidays may not be used as make-up days when schools are closed due to emergency. The Board agrees to meet with the Association to discuss make-up days when schools are closed due to an emergency. For employees who work 196, 201 or 206 days, the time shall be made up on the days that students are scheduled to make up school. For employees who work 216 or 226 days, time will be made up by extending the contract year by the number of days missed. For employees who work 255 days per year, time will be made up by extending the length of the work day as determined by the Superintendent. The Board reserves the right to waive make-up time.

7.04 - Changes in Schedule:

Temporary: Assemblies, testing programs, and other school activities, which disrupt normal classroom instruction, shall be rotated whenever possible so that the same classes are not continually affected. Classes shall be free of unnecessary interruptions by use of the intercommunications systems. Visitation to classrooms by non-employees shall be approved by the supervisor. Whenever possible, affected employees shall be informed in advance.
Emergency: In the event of an emergency or other unusual circumstance, as determined by the principal or other immediate supervisor, a teacher’s daily work schedule may be temporarily changed. When such a schedule change necessitates the loss of a teacher’s planning/conference period, and no volunteers are available, the loss of planning/conference period shall be on a rotating basis.

7.05 - Holidays: All full-time employees in the bargaining unit shall receive the following paid holidays each year: Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday), Good Friday, and Memorial Day. Employees who work twelve (12) months per year shall receive six consecutive work days’ winter vacation. Two of these days shall be Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Employees shall only be paid for holidays that occur during their work year. Employees who work less than twelve (12) months shall receive the following paid holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday), Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, and Memorial Day.

7.06 – Vacations: This section shall apply to all full time twelve (12) month employees in the TALC bargaining unit.

Twelve Month Employees: A member of the unit who is employed on a twelve (12) month basis shall be allowed paid vacation leave, exclusive of holidays, as follows:
1. An employee with less than five (5) years of continuous service shall accrue one day per month (Twelve (12) days per year).
2. An employee with five (5) years or more of continuous service shall accrue one and one quarter days per month (fifteen (15) days per year).
3. An employee with ten (10) years or more of continuous service shall accrue one- and one-half days per month (eighteen (18) days per year).
4. During days when regular 196-day certified employees are not scheduled to work (non-duty days) twelve (12) month employees may take vacation time without restriction on the number of employees on vacation at any given time.
Accrual: Vacation will not be granted until it is earned. Each employee who has accrued at least ten (10) days of vacation shall be allowed to take at least two (2) consecutive weeks of vacation during the calendar year. Each employee who has earned fifteen (15) or more days of vacation shall be allowed to take at least three (3) consecutive weeks during the calendar year. Vacation periods greater than three (3) consecutive weeks may be requested by an eligible employee and shall be subject to the approval of the superintendent.
Increments: Vacation may be granted in increments of one (1) hour provided that the request does not disrupt the operation of the work site. All vacation requests must be submitted to the supervisor at least 24 hours in advance of the requested vacation time. Requests for vacation time of three or more consecutive weeks shall be submitted at least thirty (30) days in advance of the requested vacation time.
Requests: Full time twelve (12) month employees in the TALC bargaining unit will submit vacation requests between January 1 and March 10. Each supervisor shall develop and post a vacation schedule by March 31. Requests for vacation will be granted based on seniority. The supervisor may deny vacation requests that disrupt the operation of the school or department. Vacation requests received after March 10 will be considered on a first-come first-served basis and should be responded to within 10 business days. Supervisors shall respond in PeopleSoft with a specific reason for denial if a vacation request is not granted. Previous approval of vacation requests may be revoked should an emergency arise at the worksite. An appeal of revocation of a previously approved vacation request may be made to the Superintendent or Superintendent’s Designee. All requests shall be entered into PeopleSoft by the supervisor or their designee. If the supervisor chooses, he or she may request that the employee enter the request into PeopleSoft.
Maximum Accrual: An employee may accrue a maximum of forty-five (45) work days of annual leave. Annual leave shall not be granted prior to the time it is earned and shall be used only with the approval of the superintendent upon the recommendation of the employee’s supervisor. Upon separation from the Board an employee shall be paid for accrued annual leave as of the date of the separation based on the employee’s base rate of pay at the time of separation.
Death: In the case of the death of an employee, payment for accrued annual leave shall be made to the employee’s beneficiary of record or if none, to their estate.

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Article 7 – Work Schedule